So far, we’ve been toying with this idea that we, as regular people, can actually hear the God of the universe and all things. To this, atheists will scoff and cry “delusion.” Perennial skeptics will raise all sorts of objections, many of which are completely understandable. But, as I’ve mentioned consistently ever since I began to write these things, it all comes down to two worldviews. For those who cannot accept that there is a God, then discussions like this are over before they begin. But, for those who either believe in, or are willing to consider the possibility of, a personal and loving God, it must be intriguing to wonder if and how we can actually communicate.

So, let’s say we at least partially agree that if there is such a God, we need to cut away at the layers of noise that can drown out any possible real communication. Where does that bring us? How do we tune the dial (as if it were kind of an AM or FM signal) in order to hit the right frequency?.

We then need to ask,“where is he?”

To that, I’d suggest the first thing is to remember that he’s actually right here. We actually exist in a space where God is permanently and completely present. We don’t have to go anywhere!

I was in a discussion recently about a thing called “sacred” space. This was with respect to a belief (which I believe is mistaken) that there are some places in our reality … like our homes, towns, workspaces, natural parks, and so on… where God is more present than in other places.

I know lovely people, with whom I respectfully disagree, who believe that some places are naturally more “spiritual” than other places. In America, I’ve frequently heard that the towns of Sedona, Arizona or Santa Fe, New Mexico are especially spiritual. I’ve heard that traditional Native American burial grounds are actually more spiritual than other places. I’m not completely sure what is being asserted here other than the belief that one is closer to the “transcendent reality” in these specific locations.

There are all sorts of reasons that people subscribe to this belief and one of them is that there really is no God in the Christian sense but that this more amorphous kind of god or God actually resonates specifically more in (for instance) places of natural beauty, which definitely makes some sense. I understand this because I absolutely agree that beauty is a sign that points to God. But, an all-powerful, omni-present and creative God who loves us unconditionally (the Christian version of God) is certainly not bound by a piece of dirt in a specific location.

This may come across as hard to believe for many reasons, but I believe God was as absolutely present in Auschwitz as he is in Sedona.

God was completely present at the crucifixion, despite his unwillingness to intervene.

This is a tough thing to wrap one’s head around but I believe it to be true for many, many reasons. Including experience.

Maybe ten years or so ago, I decided to accept my friend’s invitation to go to prison. Mind you, this was not the county jail but a California State Penitentiary. The place where they house the worst offenders. You may not have to have a keen imagination to think about the crimes they’ve committed. Many of them would never get out.

To make a long story short, some several dozen prisoners would volunteer to attend a three day retreat of sorts put on by a ministry called Kairos. Some guests, who are pre-screened, are permitted to attend what was called a closing ceremony. I’ve been to these events a number of times, as well as participating in some of their regular prayer meetings. The first time I went to a closing ceremony, in an obscure white-washed large room behind layers of fencing, barbed wire, guard towers, on the edge of that typical yard filled with wandering prisoners we’ve all seen in the movies, I was instantly struck with the presence of God in a manner that almost completely overpowered me. It was physical and stunning to a degree that I can’t find words to describe.

I’ve heard prisons referred to as “the devil’s playground,” for good reason. It’s hard to imagine an environment in our free society more infused with violence, hatred, brokenness, and degradation. Many of the men here have done some really bad things. It’s about as far from Sedona as you can get.

And, yet, it was just here that God showed up in a big way.

In other words, God is equally as present when we drive in our cars, work in our jobs, sit at home, walk on the beach, climb a mountaintop, go to church and literally every other place we physically find ourselves. There just is no such thing as a “sacred” place in and of itself. It is sacred (meaning reflective of the presence of God) because of how we apprehend it. Of course, some places seem particularly well suited to bring us to a suitable frame of mind but that’s not because of God. It’s because of us.

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I’d like to take a small detour here to bring up something that will be at least somewhat familiar to Jews and Christians. It speaks to this issue of “where” God is, in the historical and biblical context. (It may be new to some of you who are reading this.)

My very brief and very simplistic summary is this:

After Moses led some millions of Jews out of captivity in Egypt, he felt called to go up a mountain (believed to be Mt. Sinai), where he “met” God and received the ten commandments, etched on two stone tablets. This is certainly not the first evidence in scripture of a mortal hearing God but it’s probably the most famous.

These tablets were considered so sacred that God also “instructed” the Israelites to build a chest of sorts to contain them. This was referred to as The Ark of the Covenant. (A covenant is a legal term that binds both parties to one another. The ten commandments were basically an ancient form of what we’d refer to as a contract, binding both parties with an expectation that each would perform certain functions.) This ark was to be carried by priests called Levites inside of a large transportable tent called The Tabernacle. This tent was then, obviously, also considered a sacred place. In fact, it was believed this is where God actually resided.

Fast forward many, many centuries to the time of Jesus and the existence of the Second Temple (Solomon, son of King David, built the first temple which was later destroyed), wherein there was a very inner room called the Holy of Holies. Once a year, the high priest of the Jews would enter this most sacred of all locations, beseeching God to forgive all of he people for their sins. This was the Day of Atonement, which we now call Yom Kippur. In other words, the “holiest” man went alone into the “holiest” place so as to be in the presence of God and seek his favor.

Jesus fundamentally disrupted this brand of theology when he said (and I paraphrase), “I am he. Come to me. I am given the power to forgive all sins.” Such a radical statement was a blatant refutation of the traditional Jewish belief that only God could forgive sins and that God was best found in the innermost part of the Temple. (As another aside, the Temple sat on the mountaintop of Jerusalem, where it was said that God spoke to the “father” of all Jews, Abraham, when he ordered the sacrifice of his son, Isaac. Talk about hearing from God! Of course, God remanded that directive in the nick of time.) So, and here is a very important point in the Christian worldview, Jesus said wherever I am, you will find God. You don’t have to go to a temple. In fact, I will dwell within you, through the Holy Spirit.

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Thank you for your patience as I walked through this last piece. The preceding bit of biblical and historical record might not sit equally well with everyone. After all, there are those who take it as absolutely true and others who say it’s pure mythology. But, the point is that Jesus basically neutralized the argument that God is limited or more evident in one place rather than another. And, that is because God sets up residency in every human heart for those who trust him. This is the Christian conception.

Now, a lot has happened in the last two thousand years. In that time period, Christianity has passed through many phases, the most significant of which was its own internal revolution ignited by Martin Luther and his followers five hundred years ago. Today, there are many sects, each with their own separate take on this or that particular aspect of the faith. And, of course, in that same two thousand year time period, we’ve also seen the flourishing of other faiths, including Islam and Buddhism. (The polytheists such as Hinduism and the pantheists, such as is commonly found in pre-agrarian native cultures, have been around much longer. For a point of reference, pantheism has found some resurgence in modern “spiritual” non-monotheistic faiths.) It’s all quite overwhelming for those who are thinking of what it means to communicate with God!

I will leapfrog over another longwinded defense of the Christian worldview. Instead, in keeping with our theme of hearing God, I merely want to emphasize my deep-set belief (developed both rationally and as a fundamental aspect of experience) that we need go nowhere specifically in order to better receive what God has to offer us.

Instead, the “sacred” is to be found everywhere. I’ve been astonished at the times and places where God has made himself visible to me. Knowing that I don’t have to go somewhere to have this happen relieves a tremendous burden. I just need to open my eyes, my ears, my mind and my heart to him and await his presence.

I’ll conclude this segment by admitting that, while the theory is neat, the practice is far less so. It is one thing to (A) Be open to the idea that we can actually hear God, whatever that means, (B) Consider that a thing like prayer can actually be a two-way form of communication, (C) Recognize that all forms of noise exist in our lives and that this noise can easily mask our ability to be open to the presence of God and (D) Come to believe that we can connect with God equally well, despite our surroundings and circumstances.

It is another thing, entirely, to actually put all of these pieces together on a regular basis. So, what are we to do?